Prey with Shelters That Run Out

A team chase game in which the prey have six shelters, but each shelter allows only a limited number of uses, marked by clothespins that are removed on entry. Hunters in groups of four decide which shelters to pressure so they run out faster, and the prey must manage that shared resource.

How to play

1. Scatter six hoops around the space, each with five clothespins on the rim, and mark a boundary with cones (3 min).
2. Explain the setup: one group of four hunters in pinnies; everyone else is prey and, by stepping into a hoop, removes a clothespin and is safe for 5 seconds; a hoop with no clothespins is no longer a shelter (2 min).
3. 3-minute round: tagged prey put on a pinny and become hunters until the round ends, so nobody sits out (3 min).
4. 1-minute break so prey and hunters can plan separately; clothespins are restocked (1 min).
5. Play four more rounds with a different group of hunters each time and record how many prey were still free at the end of each round (9 min).
6. Pulse check and analysis: which shelters ran out first and whether the prey coordinated to share them (2 min).

Rules

• Tag with a hand on the back or shoulder.
• Only one prey fits in a hoop at a time; if it is taken, you cannot go in.
• Hunters may not wait within 2 m of a shelter.
• Run with your head up and slow down before the hoop; no diving.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: has a personal shelter that never runs out and hunts from the wheelchair using a pool noodle to tag.
• Visual impairment: plays with a guide, holding hands, and they count as one prey.
• Overweight or low fitness: may remove a clothespin on entry and rest for 10 seconds instead of 5.

Learning goals

• Manage a shared resource during a chase.
• Organize the hunters' pressure in a coordinated way.
• Improve reaction speed and changes of direction.

Equipment for a class of 25

• hoops: 6
• cones: 12
• pinnies: 8
• clothespins: 30

Teacher tip

Because it is very intense, slip in a pulse check after the third round. Colored clothespins show at a glance which shelter is about to run out.

More main activities for High School